Landscape Architecture with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)

Looking at the sources of inspiration within the international subject of Landscape Architecture, the module provides a broad introduction for you to begin to engage with the dynamics of a structured design process. Focus on each of the core principles will allow you to develop overall structural understanding of the subject, as well as the fundamental academic and design skill sets that will be required through the course and your future career, be that in Landscape Architecture, or a related field.

Developing a core transferable graphical skill set for Landscape Architecture and aligned, wider designed-environment industries. The module introduces industry standard methods and building on these to promote exploration of innovation and self-derived techniques in representing architectural space and site characteristics. Approaches introduced, will consider the benefits of physical and digital production methods, two dimensional and three dimensional representation, and frameworks for self-guided, work allocation, and time management in production.

Exploring the contextual framework within which the contemporary Landscape Architect practices: students will research and explore the scale, scope, and timeline of human impact on the Earth’s landscape and the impact of environmental factors on human development and systems.

Setting out a fundamental understanding of the broad design palette available to the Landscape Architect, including the key considerations for specifying and sourcing materials, systems and ecologies. Focus will be on curating the design fabric, aiming to emphasise character and function: through explorations in visual composition, colour, texture and form; to uncover deeper understandings on the emotive effects, cultural-historical references of association and the fundamental practical requirements and benefits of various design applications.

Moving up through scale, from the human perspective of 1:1, up to the common Landscape Architecture scales of 1:1000/1:1250, you will look at composition of increasingly large landscape components. As the scale range widens you observe the increasing considerations coming into play: physical and psychological interactions between the human and physical environment; a study of mass and void, of textural, sound, smell and colour qualities.

Building on an understanding of materiality, particularly from the previous year one modules, Inspiration, Components and Formation, this module develops your understanding of fully constructible, detail design and material specification. The outputs will be research led and focused on deepening and refining your understanding of how structure, technologies and living systems are integrated within real-world applications.

Developing a refined and deeper understanding of key socio-historical and artistic influences on contemporary Landscape Architecture. You will look at major movements, influences and their key proponents through specialised study areas and group debate. You will be encouraged to develop critical thinking in the review of a variety of theoretical positions, cultural beliefs and physical processes and historical context. The aim is to explore and debate on the common preconceptions and design practices of contemporary practice.

The purpose of this module is to enable you to develop professional attributes and subject skills through experience in the work place or a live case study, and to critically reflect upon your learning and future options in that context. You will normally be expected to arrange your own placement, with support from academic staff and BCU Careers. Typically, the placement duration is 1 or 2 weeks. This should be achieved in one block where possible. It is also possible to fulfil this module through a case study, via physical interview of a current practise if placement becomes unattainable.

The outcomes of this module will be supported with a lecture series and tutorial input in enabling an understanding of your industry in context, business operations, and industry expectations. In order to secure your placement you will undertake a pre-placement interview to understand your personal preferences, followed by collation of CV and on-line / off-line portfolio presence to substantiate your application.

The Urban Design module consists of a design project for redevelopment of a pivotal civic space network, with a focus on making dynamic, lively, places for people. You will develop proposals for a layered vision for reinvigorating and enlivening a ‘sense of place’ across a broad area, supporting the masterplan design/redesign of one key plaza, with multiple designed interventions for improving use and local identity.

Designed Ecologies is an exploration of multi-layered systems, incorporating and integrating social and ecological components within design of space. You will undertake a design project working down from a strategic level of green-network or parkland landscape, moving down into detail design for enhancing specific ecology and linking to visitor experience and resource production.

The module is an opportunity to learn and critically reflect on the skills of collaboration by enabling you to create an interdisciplinary project with students from complementary disciplines, or with academic staff.

Collaboration is a vital employability skill within the Creative Industries and this module allows you to develop these skills, making use of University facilities and with the support of academic staff. Within this module framework, several kinds of collaborative opportunities are available. For example, with the approval of your supervisor, you can determine a project based on your own interests; your supervisor may set you a predetermined project to enable you to work with other students in a way that is appropriate to your subject area; or there may be opportunities for you to collaborate with staff on research projects. In all cases, you must apply your subject skills to an interdisciplinary project which will be agreed in advance with your supervisor.

This module provides an opportunity for you to apply your knowledge and skills to an external, professional brief. The brief will be set by an external client/ agency, in consultation with your supervisor, and it could be a ‘real life’ problem to be solved, or a simulation. It is an opportunity for you to engage in a professional manner with an aspect of your subject area, which contributes to the development of employability skills within the supportive infrastructure of the University. Where appropriate, the project may involve interdisciplinary collaboration with students from other courses. In this way, it reflects the collaborative, flexible nature of employment within the Creative Industries.

This module is designed to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a credit bearing, 40- week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Undergraduate Degree.    The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.  Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace. 

The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and theoretically informed research project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. It is important that we can support you appropriately, so you will be guided towards choosing a research topic which is relevant to your discipline and in which your lecturers have expertise. The outcome may take the form of a written dissertation or a practice-based portfolio. 

Building from the Praxis approach utilised within the School of Architecture and Design, this module completes the conceptual thread of modules which connect a Professional practice suite through from Skills and Praxis, developing and integrating industry aligned skills and approaches, preparing you for entry into competitive professional contexts after study. A fundamental aspect of the module is to increase your self-reliance and confidence in communicative approaches and contextual understanding of their application.

You will start by defining a project site at strategic scale, which aligns to a sophisticated set of aims and identified contextual and/or theoretical issues (such as that explored in the Major Project module) and design potentials. Critical analysis will be required to consider and decide on a suitable site for study. Further to this you will be expected to explore site conditions and design ideas to create an integrated conceptual design brief and vision the specific chosen site.

The ‘concept design’ will set out the key design principles of the project proposals, use, character and experiences, with the aim of selling the design to the client, stakeholders and public audience. Final outputs will form the basis for a Masterplan design in Major Design: Deliver.

Through the production of a masterplan, students will refine a set of complex physical and cultural site specific issues, to define creative and sophisticated solutions. This will demonstrate the broad range of technical and communicative skills, as well as a breadth and depth of understanding in creative design, process and context, aspects which make up the core areas of Landscape Architecture.

Finally, through research, exploration and guidance, students will produce accurate detailed, construction design and planting design proposals, which communicate a comprehensive hard and soft materials specification, using appropriate techniques in representation.